Brown Family to Sponsor Trojan Navy Tour of England

IT WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ROCKED THE USC MEN'S CREW FROM BOW TO STERN.

Henry Brown and his parents Linda and Abbott, will sponsor USC's finest oarsmen and coxswain to travel to England to race for the Britannia Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames in July.

"We're going to Henley!" shrieked varsity coxswain Emily Chin to her crew upon hearing the news. "We are really going to Henley."

The Henley Royal Regatta is surely one of the world's great events and not just for the rowing. For the American spectator, the opportunity to see English "polite society" on display provides nearly as much entertainment as the excellent boat racing. Between races, the crew will watch men and women in fine dress cavorting about the regatta.

No doubt Coach Kininmonth will be on watch to ensure his Crew are not too distracted by their surroundings. Because at Henley, if you lose, you are out of the game, and half the crews lose every day.  

So, over five days of racing, an early loss can put you on the sidelines for a very long time. For the finals on Sunday, there is nothing to beat the feeling of rowing directly down the course for the warm-up, which you are only allowed to do on the last day. Especially if you then race back again in front, with the Stewards Enclosure standing & cheering.

Henley is the Mecca of world rowing: for oarsmen and coxswains, a pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime is deemed a must.

Past oarsmen dream to be among the finely dressed Steward's Enclosure spectators to see it happen, or, even better, from a seat in a boat.

Coach K says a critical issue is getting Trojan alumni to understand the importance of the trip.

"Going to Henley puts our Crew program on the map with Washington, Cal and the Ivy League schools," said Coach. "It is huge for recruiting but far more importantly, it is now a point of pride for these oarsmen and for everyone associated with the program. For the first time in history, USC will be represented internationally in rowing. This is a cornerstone from which to build."

Crew chairman Jack Schumacher  is ecstatic about the Crew going to England. "There was concern last year about the cost of sending a four-man crew to New Jersey for the IRA National Championships. But when the lads came back wearing silver medals there was not much to argue with!"

Jack said the whole program is just "brimming with gratitude to Henry Brown and his generous parents."

Meanwhile, for the Trojan Navy there is a lot of hard work to be done on the water before final selections are made to determine the Crew.

"The pressure on every member of our squad to perform to their best just skyrocketed," said varsity stroke Kevin Lorell. "Everyone wants to go to England but there are more dreams than seats available."   

The Crew will be selected in March.